I’m not sure what was the bigger treat — viewing the incredible works in Turtle Bay’s new fine art exhibit, “Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts,” or listening to artist/educator Richard Wilson talk about them.
Wilson’s enthusiasm was infectious in a sneak preview of the show I attended today. The former Shasta College art professor said, “There are a lot of spirits, ghosts maybe, in this room that I have thought about every day of my life in my studio.”
The exhibit includes work from visionaries who launched significant movements in American art. Thomas Moran, Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and David Salle are among the artists represented in the show. The exhibit opens Friday and runs through May 3.
For more information go to www.turtlebay.org.
Wilson, who has had solo exhibitions at the Carl Berg Gallery in Los Angeles and the Triangle Gallery in San Francisco, called the exhibit, “One of the three or four strongest shows I’ve ever seen in Redding.” He added that the artists’ influence covers just about every segment of American art history.
To enjoy your own tour with Wilson, visit Turtle Bay from 7 to 9 p.m. March 18 (a Wednesday). Wilson will walk the gallery and give his analysis on the works and their place in history. The event is $3 for members, $5 for non-members.
A good chance to view the exhibit will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday during Turtle Bay’s Culture Shock series. The event will also include chocolate creations by Nancy Matthews of Chocolat de Nannette, karaoke and other events. Cost is $4 for members, $5 for non-members.
Because there were more than 70 works to place in Turtle Bay’s fine art gallery, Wilson conceded that the exhibit is a little packed in terms of how it’s hung. To leave any of the works out would be even more of a detraction, however, he said. The show is also, perhaps, a bit light on minimalists. That’s something Wilson, a minimalist painter himself, would certainly notice.
Some of my personal favorites in the show included the above piece “Summer Pregnancy” by Larry River; “Water Mill Fog” by Jane Wilson; and “Bull-Pen” by Alan Shields. But there is rich imagery and form in every direction you look in this show.
